William h



(No Model.) I

W. H. H. SALLEE. LID FOR CRATES.

No. 573.040. Patented Deo. 15, 1896.

FIV-ff Igzgfap Zee,

NiTnD STATES PATENTv Enron.

\VILLIAM l-l. H. SALLEE, OF RUTLEDGE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OFV ONE-HALF TO A. E. M CQUOID, OF SAME PLACE.

LID FORv CRATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 573,040, dated December 15, 1896.

Application filed February 24, 1896. Serial No. 580,472. (No modela To @ZZ whom t may concern:

ing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in lids for crates and the like.

ically locking itself in position.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a crate provided with a lid constructed in accordance with this invention.

a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the catch. Fig. et is a transverse sectional view of the Saule.

crate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates the body of an egg-crate provided at its ends with cleats 2, forming convenient handles or grips and extending above the upper edges of the body and cooperating with metal keepers 3 to form grooves 4 for the reception of the ends of a cover or lid 5. The keepers consist of metal straps bent in a substantially rectangular form to provide a horizontal top portion and depending sides, which are secured to the outer faces of the sides of the body at the ends thereof.

The lid or cover 5 is composed of two sections disposed longitudinally pf the body and connected at their inner adjacent ends by hinges 6, which may be of any suitable con- The outer ends ol the sections of the lid or cover are received within the grooves i and are thereby secured to the body of the struction.

crate when the cover is in position.

Fig. 2 is rlhe central portion of the lid or cover is adapted to break, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, to permit the outer ends of the sections to be withdrawn from the grooves 4 of the body, and the sections are locked in their horizontal position in alinement by a catch 7. The inner ends of the sections oi the cover are beveled on their upper faces, and the hinges are preferably arranged as shown, but any other desired arrangement may be employed.

The catch is centrally mounted on a trans` verse partition S of the body in a vertical groove 9 thereof and extends upward, being provided at its top with a bend l0 to form an engaging head. rllhe upper portion of the catch, which is constructed ot' resilient material, extends through a central opening ll of the lid or cover and engages a recess l2, whereby the cover or lid is securely locked on the body of the crate. A recess 12 is provided at each end of the slot or opening ll. The cover is beveled on its lower face at 13 at each end of the slot or opening 1l to permit the catch to engage it automatically when placed in position. By this construction the lid or cover is reversible, and, if desired, the catch may be duplicated, so as to engage each section of the lid or cover.

Thelid or coveris provided on its upper face with transverse cleats 14, which strengthen the sections and which prevent the catch from being injured when crates are piled upon one another.

It will be seen that the lid or cover is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily placed on or removed from a crate, and that it is iirmly locked in position.

Changes in the iorin, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In a device of the class described, the coinbination of a body provided at its ends with keepers, a transverse partition arranged within the body, a resilient catch mounted on the partition and provided at its top with a curved band forming an engaging head and disposed IOO longitudinally of the crate, a cover composed one another, substantiall y as and for the pur- Of two sections having their outer ends enpose described.

gaging the keepers and hinged at their inner In testimony that I claim the foregoing as ends, each section being provided at its inmy own I have hereto aflixed my signature in 5 ner end with a slot for the reception of the the presence of two witnesses.

head of the catch, and cleats secured to the ,T Y

upper face of the cover at the inner end of Xl ILLIAM H' H SALLEE the sections to house the head of the catch Vitliesses:

and prevent the same from being bent, or A. E. MCQUOID,

1o otherwise injured, when crates are piled upon J. W. PETTY. 

